Today's News

Bonds have been set for murder suspects Craig Bryant and Lora Moultrie.

According to District Attorney Rex Gore, Bryant and Moultrie, who are both in custody awaiting trial for the April 27, 2008, murder of Shallotte Realtor Adam Bradshaw, were given bonds because it will be prosecuted as a non-capital case.

Superior Court Judge Frank Floyd set Bryant’s bond at $310,000, while Moultrie was later given a $200,000 bond.

At press time Tuesday, both suspects were in custody at the Brunswick County Detention Center.

Jupiter is making news with a personal appearance in our early evening sky.

On July 19, a backyard astronomer was watching Jupiter and noticed a dark cloud at the bottom of it. As Jupiter spun, the cloud moved from the east horizon to center stage for a good view. The sky observer of this story was an avid sky watcher and knew from experience this was an historical event.

Gardens in our hot and wet climate tend to get a bit ragged around the edges. The leaf spots attack; slugs, snails and grasshoppers chew the foliage; weeds fill every possible void. Try not to let it get you down too much, though. The milder, and typically drier, weather of fall is great for lots of plants, so break out of your summer garden doldrums and get busy on some tasks to make the fall even better.

For additional flowering, deadheading some of your favorite flowers now may force them to bloom again in the fall. Light pruning may be performed for most landscape plants except those that you expect to have blooms from next spring such as azaleas. Storm damaged tissue may make it necessary to make heavier pruning cuts than normal to repair broken, leaning or dangerous limbs.

Now is an excellent time to take soil samples. Submitting samples now results in receiving your analysis in three to four weeks or less rather than submitting in the winter, which will take 8-12 weeks minimum for results to be received.

Crystal Armakovitch and Christopher Locklear of Supply were married July 24. The bride is the daughter of Janice and Chester Moore of Supply. The groom is the son of Chriss and Barbara Locklear of Supply.

Matron of honor was Eva Cummings. Best man was Rex King.

The groom is employed at Coastal Carolina Construction.

Following a honeymoon in Myrtle Beach, S.C., the couple resides in Supply.

Shallotte town employees are getting more than their share of requests from would-be entrepreneurs seeking to open Internet gaming businesses in town.

At Tuesday night’s planning board meeting, town planner Allen Serkin and alderman John Kinlaw urged board members to recommend regulations for the businesses, including definitions, conditional uses and other restrictions so the town can have a place to start.

It all starts when the first AARP notification arrives. That hallmark of aging puts a new label onto the year 50 at the same time that some proclaim 50 as the new 30.

Having approached, entered, and long since left that “middle age” marker, I now gasp as media reports identify a 70-year-old as elderly. 70! I have already left that number in the dust and gain both grace and confidence by reminding myself my mother is alive and kicking at 95 and a half.